Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has described the Christmas Day U.S. military airstrikes on Islamist militants in Sokoto State as a “blessing,” signalling Abuja’s openness to deeper security cooperation with Washington.
Speaking to Fox News Digital during a week-long visit to the United States, Tinubu said the intervention was welcomed by Nigeria as it continues to confront insurgent groups and armed criminal networks operating across several regions.
“The intervention of the U.S. was quite a welcome development,” Tinubu said. She added that Nigeria is seeking broader collaboration with the United States on security matters. “Nigeria is looking forward to collaboration” with the US on security issues. “We are expecting that there will be more.”
The airstrikes, which reportedly targeted Islamist militants in north-west Nigeria, have intensified debate in U.S. political circles over security and religious violence in Africa’s most populous country. During his previous term, Donald Trump designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” over alleged violations of religious freedom, a label the administration of Bola Tinubu has rejected.
Nigerian officials maintain that the violence, while severe, is not confined to a single faith or region. Tinubu pointed to the activities of terrorist groups and criminal bandits operating in forests and rural communities.
“Terrorist groups hide in the forest, and also bandits and other people are kidnapping for ransom,” she said.
“We are concerned about our people’s safety,” she added, referencing measures taken by the federal government, including a nationwide security emergency, plans to recruit 50,000 additional police officers, and the redeployment of more than 11,000 officers from VIP protection assignments to conflict-affected areas.
Responding to criticism over attacks on Christian communities, Tinubu said the scrutiny has created room for dialogue between Nigeria and the United States.
“We have that attention. We have the conversation going. And we are expecting that there will be more. You know, it’s going to yield better fruit for us, and both for us and also America.”
During meetings with senior U.S. officials, she said she sought to clarify the complexities of Nigeria’s security landscape. “We live in Nigeria. We know the situation on the ground,” she said.
A former senator who served until 2023 and previously Lagos First Lady between 1999 and 2007, Tinubu is an ordained Christian pastor, while her husband is Muslim, a reflection of Nigeria’s religious diversity. She also leads the Renewed Hope Initiative, a non-profit aligned with the administration’s social programmes.
Beyond security concerns, Tinubu linked stability to economic recovery and foreign investment. Nigeria holds significant reserves of lithium, cobalt and other critical minerals that have attracted U.S. interest amid efforts to counter China’s influence in Africa’s mining sector. However, insecurity in mining regions continues to pose risks.
“We’re doing all we can to make sure that when investors come, they can feel comfortable and their investment can yield,” she said.
